Faucet attachment



Jne 10, 1947, ,6. HwoTRlNG FAUCET ATTACHMENT FiledyFeb. 24, 1945 Inventor. Gaglorcl I-I. Wotrjncg, I by WMMf' His Altornelf4.`

Patented June 10, 1947 FAUCET ATTACHMENT Gaylord H. Wotring, Fairfield, Conn., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application February 24, 1945, Serial No. 579,541

6 Claims;

This invention relates to faucet attachments, more particularly to such attachments for faucets,'such as are commonly found in kitchens, and it has for its object the provision of an improved device of this character.

While it has more general application, the improved attachment of this invention is particularly applicable for attaching a fluid conduit, such as a hose, to a faucet. And it is especially useful in connecting the fill hose of a dishwashing machine or the like with the faucet.

In addition, this invention contemplates an improved faucet attachment having hose means, which in addition to its function of passing clean Water to the washing machine, may also be used to ycarry the soiled Water from the washing mae chine and discharge it in the kitchen sink which is associated with the faucet.

Another feature in this invention is the provision of means for easily and quickly detaching the hose means from the faucet when the hose means has served its purpose.

In carrying out this invention in one form thereof, the attachment is provided With an adapter body which is detachably secured to the discharge end of the faucet. While this body is detachable, it may be and preferably will be left permanently attached. Mounted within the body is a suitable washer-like sealing member which when it is forced against the lower end of the faucet seals the peripheral edges of the faucet but permits the Water to flow through the Washer. A support is quickly detachably fastened to the adapter by interengaging parts such as interfitting complementary parts; in the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated, the adapter body has a groove which receives a retaining flange on the support by a simple sliding movement. In this embodiment there is a liquid conducting member which is spring-biased .to engage the washer and push it against the faucet, and which has a conduit therethrough aligned with that in the washer so as to pass the water discharged from the faucet.

Suitable means are provided for unloading the spring from the washer so that the interfitting parts of the support and the adapter may be readily separated to permit the support to be removed.

In one form of this invention, the support also carries a liquid conducting discharge member,

which when the support is attached to the adapter, will discharge liquid passed through it at a point below the faucet, such as into a sink associated with the faucet. This discharge member may be used to carry soiled water from the Washing apparatus to the sink to be drained.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is an elevation of a faucet attachment arranged in accordance with this invention, and as applied to a washing machine for supplying it with water from a` faucet, and for draining the soiled water from the machine to a sink associated with the faucet; Fig. 2 is an enlarged view mainly in section illustrating the hose means of the faucet attachment removed from the adapter thereof which is secured to the faucet; Fig. 3 is a view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 4 is a vertical elevation of the faucet attachment applied to the faucet, the View being mainly in section; and Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan view illustrating the adapter attached to the faucet.

Referring to the drawing, this invention is shown in one form as applied to dishwashing apparatus, although it is to be understood that it is applicable to other apparatus and situations where it is desired to supply water from a faucet. Also in the particular application to the dishwashing apparatus shown, the faucet adapter is arranged to carry the soiled water from the Washing apparatus.

The faucet attachment comprises a cylindrical adapter body l of cup-like formation which is constructed and arranged to be attached to the smooth discharge end of the faucet 2, which in this application will be the hot Water faucet of the kitchen. As shown, the diameter of the cup-shaped adapter body `is somewhat larger than that of the discharge end of the faucet, and it is arranged so that the faucet is receivable into it. The adapter body is secured to the faucet by means of a plurality of pointed set screws 3 turned in to engage the faucet, as shown more clearly in Fig. 5. Should the faucet be of the bibb type, then the adapter will have internal threads, and it will be fastened to the faucet by screwing it on, rather than by the use of the set screws.

Mounted in the adapter body I is a cylindrical washer 4 formed of any suitable resilient material, such as rubber. This washer has a tapered upper sealing surface, as shown; and also a central aperture 5 which is adapted to receive and pass water discharging from the faucet. In its operation, the washer engages the peripheral lower edge of the discharge faucet, as shown in Fig. 4, t9 .Seal this edge against leakage, while I the water discharged from the faucet flows through the central passageway in the washer. The washer when not in engagement with the faucet rests upon the lower wall 6 of the adapter body, and the washer has a downwardly extending section l which passes through a central opening 8 provided for it in this lower wall. Depending from this bottom wall around the opening 8 is a cylindrical extension 9 which surrounds the washer extension 1, as shown.

Suitable means are provided for forcing the washer l into its sealing position of Fig. Ll. This means comprises a shell-like support member ill having in general a U shape in cross-section, and which is supported by the adapter body, as shownin Fig. 4. For the purpose of supporting the shell if! the adapter body is provided wi'tha recess ll in its downward extension 9. The support lo has an inturned U-shaped flange i3 at its upper end, and the two legs of which are arranged to be slid laterally into the recess il, as shown in Fig. 4, and when received therein function to attach the shell to the adapter body and prevent their separation in the longitudinal direction. Mounted within the upper part of the shell lo is a liquid-conducting elbow I4 which is roughly in the shape of a T, the head lying along the axis of the shell, while the stem projects laterally out from the shell through an opening l5 therein. Also, as shown, this liquidconducting member has an L-shaped conducting passageway I6 therein, one leg of the passageway opening at the top of the elbow, as viewed' .in Figs. 2 and 4', while its other leg discharges laterally through the stem of the T. This elbow is mounted for longitudinal movement up and down within the shell, and it is biased upwardly by means of a compression spring Il', which has one end bearing against the lower end of the elbow and its other end bearing against the upper end' of a similar fluid-conducting elbow i3, the latter elbow, however, being fixed in the shell I0 by means of screws i9. The spring l1', therefore, normally forces the elbow Il upwardly against the lower portion l of the resilient washer fl and biases it into its sealing position shown in Fig. 4. The spring in reacting against the lower elbow i3 draws the shell down into tight engagement with the adapter and holds the two parts tightly together. course, must exert a pressure greater than the total pressure of the water acting on the upper elbow in order to insure a perfect seal against leakage.

While for the sake of clarity in illustration, the washer Il is shown in Fig. 2 to be spaced slightly below the lower end ofthe faucet it is to be understood that it is preferable to fasten the adapter l to the faucet so that the washer is held in rather firm contact with the faucet. The spring Il then functions to compress the washer lightly against the faucet when the shell Id is applied to the adapter.

With the parts inY their positions shown in Fig. 4, when the faucet is turned on the water discharging from the faucet will flow through the sealing member 4 and thence through the L.- shaped passageway i6 formed inl the upper elbow member i4. This passageway discharges into a hose 2i! which may be formed of any flexible material, such as rubber. In the specific example of the invention illustrated this hose 2i) discharges into a passageway 2| formed in a hose member 22 which is connected` with the intake pipe 23 of dishwashing apparatus 24. This The spring, of f intake pipe 23 discharges through a reaction spray device 25 located within the vat 26 of the washing machine. The washing machine is pro vided with a drain valve 21 which when closed retains the water in the vat, and which water is circulated by means of a motor driven impeller 28 when the washing machine is operating.

The hose member 2?. also has a second liquidconducting passageway 2S! which is connected with the drain sump 2id through a motor driven drain pump 3i. When the drain valve 21 is opened and the pump 3l is operating, the water in the vat will be pumped up through the passageway 29. This passageway communicates with a hose member 3d which in turn communicates with an L-shaped liquid-conducting passageway lila pro-vided for it in the lower elbow i3 and which passageway has a discharge opening 32. The soiled water discharging from the elbow i8 is received in a sink 33 which is associated with the faucet 2, and which has the usual drain pipe 33a. It is not necessary to form the two conduits 22 and 29 in a single hose member; they may be formed in entirely separate hoses.

t will be observed that the dishwashing machine is of the portable type, having stationary legs transported from one location to another. Therefore, it is desirable to be able to readily detach the hose means and the supporting shell lll from the faucet whereby the faucet may be used in the usual fashion. Suitable means are provided for unloading the spring ll from the upper elbow le and the washer B so that the shell and adapter can be easily separated. This means comprises a leverage system comprising a lever 3G having a pair of spaced-apart legs 31, as shown more clearly in Fig. 3, and which are arranged to straddle the shell, and which are pivoted to ears 3&3 projecting from the shell, as shown, the pivotal means consisting of a pair of screws 3%. The leverage system further comprises a pair of aligned abutments la extending outwardly from opposite sides of the upper elbow member lli and projecting through a pair of elongated vertical slots 4l provided for them in the sides of the shell. Thus, when it is desired to release the shell and the hose from the faucet it is merely necessary to depress the lever` 35 which action forces the abutments ll and the elbow downwardly to unload the spring l1 from the washer. When this has been done the shell may be laterally slipped out of its recess Il and the faucet may then be used in the usual fashion.

When it is desired to replace the shell lo and the hose means it is merely necessary to again depress the lever 36 to unload the spring l1, then slip the flanges I3 laterally into their recess Il, and release the handle 36, whereupon the elbow Ill again forces the washer into its sealing position of Fig. 4, and locks the assembly in place.

A second pair of aligned abutments 42 are spaced above the rst pair all so that the legs 31 of the lever 36 are received between the two sets of abutments, as shown. The abutments 42 also slide in the openings 4l of the shell. These abutments maintain a straight line of motion of the upper elbow member lll as the lever 36 is pressed down. They also act as a stop to limit the upward travel of this elbow when the shell it is not fastened to the adapter i. Also they act as a stop on the lever itself.

It will be understood that the faucet attachment of this invention may be used without the fill and wheels 35 whereby it may be easily drain hose 30 and the drain passageway .Isa where the attachment has no draining function. In such case, the lower elbow I8 will be eliminated and a suitable abutment be substituted for it. Thus, instead of this elbow a cylindrical plug can be screwed in the lower end of the shell by means of the screw I9 to act as an abutment for the lower end ofthe spring I1.

Preferably, and as shown, the over-all length of the washer 4 will be such that when the shell I is applied to the adapter l, as shown in Fig. 4, the upper end of the upper elbow I4 will project into the cylindrical expansion 9. This accomplishes two things: First, such an arrangement prevents the disconnection of the shell I0 from the adapter by sidewise pull, because the shell will be locked in position by the portion of the upper elbow which ts into the adapter. Second, any leakage which might occur between the upper elbow and the sealing washer is forced to flow downwardly; in other words, it cannot flow radially outwardly where it might come into contact with and scald someone. It will be understood that before disconnecting the shell l0 it is necessary to shut off the faucet. This leaves city water pressure in the hose between the attachment and the inlet valve (not shown) which is usually provided for the dishwashing machine and which at this time will be closed. During the initial portion of the downward stroke of the release lever 3B the stored pressure will be released into the clearance gap that will be formed between the upper elbow and the adapter, and it is forced harmlessly downwardly over the spring and lower elbow member I8. The shell I0 acts as a guard to prevent the water from striking the operators hand.

To further insure the downward passage of the small quantity of hot water stored under pressure in the hose and released by the initial downward movement of the lever 36, a relatively small water conducting recess or notch 43 is provided in the outer side wall of the upper elbow I4 which is opposite the lever 36, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

While I have shown a particular embodiment of my invention, it will be understood, of course, that I do not wish to be limited thereto since many modifications may be made, and I, therefore, contemplate by the appended claims to cover any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A faucet attachment for a faucet having a discharge end comprising an adapter body, means for attaching said adapter body to said discharge end, a washer on said body movable with reference thereto'frorn a first position wherein it is out of engagement with sai-d discharge end to a second position wherein it is in engagement therewith so as to seal the peripheral edge thereof and having a conduit therethrough to receive and pass the liquid that is discharged from said end, a separate support extending from said body, said body and support having complementary parts intertting normally to prevent their separation, a spring acting on said washer and on said support to force said washer from said first to said second position and thereby into engagement with said faucet end and also to force said intertting parts together, and means for acting on said spring to unload it from said washer.

2. A faucet attachment for a faucet having a discharge end comprising an adapter body, means for attaching said body to said discharge end, a washer on said body movable with reference thereto from a first position wherein it is out of engagement with said discharge end to a second position wherein it is in engagement therewith so as to seal the `peripheral edge thereof and having a conduit which receives and passes the uid from said faucet, a support having a flange, and said adapter body having a recess for receiving said flange so as to prevent separation of said support and body, a spring on said support normally reacting on said washer and support to force the washer from said first to said second position into sealing relation` with said discharge end, and a lever pivoted to said support and functioning when it is operated to one position to act on said spring so as to unload it from said washer so that said support; can be separated from said recess. i Y

3. A faucet attachment for a faucet having a discharge end comprising a hose, an adapter body, means for attaching said body to said discharge end, a washer on said body movable with reference thereto into engagement with said discharge end to seal the peripheral edge thereof and having a conduit which receives the fluid discharged from said faucet, a support having a flange and said adapter body having a recess for receiving said flange so as to prevent separation of said support and body in the longitudinal direction, a fluid conductor on said support movably mounted for longitudinal movement with reference to it, a compression spring having one end bearing against said conductor to force it against said washer and an abutment on said support against which the other end of said spring bears, an abutment on said conductor, and a lever pivoted on said support movable against said abutment to move said conductor to unload said spring from said washer and so that said support flange can be removed from said recess to release the support from said adapter body.

4. A faucet attachment for a faucet having a discharge end comprising a hose, an adapter body, means for attaching said body to said discharge end, a washer on said body movable into engagement with said discharge end to seal the peripheral edge thereof and having a conduit which receives the fluid discharged from said end, a support having a flange and said adapter body having a recess into which said iiange is slidable by a lateral movement of said support with reference to said adapter body, the flange when received in said recess preventing longitudinal separation of said support from said adapter body, a fluid conducting elbow on said support having an L- shaped fluid conducting passageway therethrough, one end of said passageway registering with the discharge end of the conduit in said washer and the other end connected with said hose, said elbow being mounted in said support for longitudinal movement with reference to it, a compression spring on said support bearing against said elbow to force it in one direction against said washer and to force said washer into its sealing relation with said discharge end, and a leverage system on said support coacting with said elbow to move it in the opposite direction to unload said spring from said washer and to thereby permit lateral separation of said support from said adapter body.

5. A faucet attachment for a faucet having a discharge end comprising an adapter body, means for attaching said adapter body to said discharge end, a washer on said body for engaging said 7 discharge end to seal its peripheral edge and hav.- ing a conduit adapted to receive the liquid that is discharged from said faucet, a support extending.A from said adapterl body, means detachably corrrlecting said support and adapter body, a

spring on saidsupport biasing said washer against said discharge end, and means for unloading said spring from said Washer to permit the separation of said support from said adapter body.

6. A faucet attachment for a faucet having a discharge end comprising an adapter body, means for attaching said body to said discharge end, a washer in said body slidable longitudinally therein for movement against said discharge end to seal its peripheral edge and having a conduit therethrough to` receive and pass the liquid discharged from said faucet, said body having therein a peripheral recess, a shell depending from said body having a U -shaped ange laterally receivable in said recess, and when received therein preventing the longitudinal separation of said shell from said body, a liquid conductor in said shell longitudinally movable therein so that it can be moved against said Washer to force it against said discharge end and having a passageway therethrough communicating With that in said washer when it is forced against it, a spring in said shell, one end thereof bearing against said conductor to force it against said washer and an abutment in said shell for the other end of said spring, an abutment on said conductor and a lever for engaging it to move said conductor to unload said spring.

GAYLORD H. WOTRING.

RFRENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Watson May 30, 1933 Number 

